This is one of the best restaurants in Republic! There is something for everyone here and we highly recommend this restaurant for guests visiting from out of town who want to explore a local place. Ryan recommends ordering the Mexican cheesy corn as a side and Bethany's favorite that's always a solid choice is their BBQ brisket. And for those that have heard the rumors, yes this is the place that the pork tenderloin sandwich and chicken fried steak are bigger than the platter they're served on. We've tried them both and they are good but you'll have have leftovers for days or you can easily spilt the entrée between multiple people.

This has become our favorite Mexican restaurant! It's only a few minutes from our house and the wedding venue as well. If you have some down time while you are visiting we highly recommend the queso dip and street tacos from here.

For those who know Ryan really well, you know that he could eat Chinese food for almost every meal so he knows which places are just okay and which are absolutely delicious. This restaurant is the birthplace of Springfield Cashew Chicken and it doesn't disappoint. We both recommend ordering the David's Special with Cashew Chicken and a peanut butter egg roll. Just trust us, it's delicious!

SOME OF THE BEST PASTA IN TOWN! Ryan's go-to favorite is the tortellini carbonara and Bethany's is the ravioli rosa. Their pasta and sauces are all made from scratch and are delicious. This restaurant is located on Commercial Street where you can also take a short walk around the area to see fun murals and wander around some shops along the way too.

As stated in the restaurant's title, this place is known for their burgers and shakes. We like to add fries to that list as well, specifically the hickory smoked fries with ALL the dipping sauces (if you know, you know, and if you don't, you need to find out). Bethany's favorite is the Don't Go Bacon My Heart Burger and Ryan's go-to is the Blues Brothers Burger. These aren't your average burgers so you'll just have to read about them for yourself. There are multiple locations of this restaurant around town but we recommend either the Chesterfield or Downtown locations since they both offer the full menu there.

No it's not a local place but if you want a reasonably priced steak, there's no better place in town. And as Bethany will tell you, join the waitlist early because this place gets packed quick. Their rolls and honey butter can't be matched by any other restaurant so be warned, you're going to want to eat more than one.

For those looking to splurge a little while visiting, Ocean Zen is a fun mix of Asian-French fusion dishes. This is the restaurant where Ryan and Bethany celebrated their one year dating anniversary and where Ryan planned their surprise engagement party after the proposal. We both recommend the sushi and for an entrée recommendation, we both enjoy their steak dishes with either the parmesan black truffle risotto or the garlic mashed potatoes.

If you're looking for the best steak in town and want to experience one of Springfield's top fine-dining restaurants, make a reservation at Char and prepare yourself for a terrific meal. Known for their large selection of steaks, Char also has plenty of seafood choices to pair with your meal as well. The steaks here are cooked to perfection and you can't go wrong with the lobster mac & cheese or lyonnaise potatoes. We recommend ordering a couple of different side dishes that the whole table can try. The portion sizes here are very generous so come hungry.